Energy Sword
The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword, commonly known as The Energy Sword, is a close quarters weapon of the Covenant Empire, for exclusive use of the Sangheili in the Halo games. Design The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword consists of a curved hilt, housing an energy storage module and a device for projecting the plasma which forms the blade. The actual blade is composed of two partially ionized 'blades' of free moving electron based gas held in a blade-like form by two small magnetic-field generators built into the handle of the weapon. This forms and contains the oval shaped, ionized blades for which the weapon is recognized. The battery's energy is reduced for each successful strike. Each killing strike from the sword will drain the battery by 10% of its energy. Once the battery power is fully depleted, the sword will deactivate unless recharged, which is impossible in the games. The hilt of the sword (Halo 3) displays multiple Forerunner symbols. The Halo 2 version has multiple symbols that yet are unknown to be Forerunner. The Type-1 Energy Weapon contains a failsafe mechanism witnessed during the Battle of Installation 04 that can permanently disable the weapon if the Sangheili wielding it drops it.6 When dropped, the failsafe engages by deactivating the magnetic field before dispersing the energy. The energy then consumes the handle and thus destroys the weapon. The failsafe is included to prevent enemy infantry from acquiring the weapon and using it, and is yet another insight to Sangheili tactics. The failsafe seems to be rarely used, or was only included in a variant of Energy Sword issued to the Covenant ground forces deployed to Installation 04 by the Fleet of Particular Justice. The Energy Sword is the signature weapon of the Sangheili, and has been their weapon of nobility since its creation during one of their Ages of Discovery. Viewed as a holy weapon the Sangheili pride themselves on their skills with this weapon and believe that it is better for a Sangheili to fall on his sword as an act to redeem his honor. The Sangheili are also very strict on who can be trained in the art of swordsmanship - only aristocrats are permitted to wield Energy Swords and sword wielders are no longer eligible for marriage. Although Fal 'Chavamee was a skilled swordsman and instructor, despite being married it is unknown how his aristocrat status was enforced or if this was changed as a result of his actions. Breeding with any female they choose is permitted, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes. In service to the Covenant, Sangheili of a high or important rank are permitted to wield this weapon - lower ranks are not permitted to wield the sword because of its high status. In the Covenant, Sangheili Ultras, Sangheili Zealots, Special Operations Sangheili, Stealth Sangheili, Sangheili Councilors and Sangheili Honor Guardsman, are permitted to use Energy Swords. 'Advantages' The Type-1 Energy Weapon is an extremely powerful and devastating melee weapon in close quarters combat. A single strike can penetrate through the energy shield systems and into the armor and flesh of a Spartan or a Sangheili. This is due to the design of the weapon which utilizes magnetically sealed, partially ionized, free moving electron based gas rather than traditional shaped, solid matter. The Type-1 Energy Weapon's edge is therefore extremely volatile, being able to slice through the toughest metals with ease, including ODST battle armour and the Titanium-A class plating of UNSC destroyers. Injuries to living creatures by the Type-1 Energy Weapon can range from bad to gruesome. Stab wounds by the Type-1 Energy Weapon are in most cases fatal — as the blade passes through the body, the innards of the body are burned and cauterized by the temperatures produced by the blades. Survival is minimal at best and in the case of non-vital organs being stabbed with the energy sword, proper medical treatment must be applied as soon as possible to ensure long term survival. Because of the sword's sheer destructive power, dismemberment is another common form of fatality to victims, ranging from decapitation to bodies being sliced in half. Even loss of limbs is a common injury, while not always fatal, it will permanently disable a victim. The sheer destructive power of the sword makes it a weapon to be feared on any battlefield and it is known for its psychological effects on human soldiers. 'Disadvantages' The Type-1 Energy Weapon's main disadvantage is that it is purely a close-quarters weapon, any weapon outside of the effective range puts the wielder at risk. It is for this reason that the Sangheili approach sword combat on the battlefield in two different ways, by funneling the enemy into close-quarters to allow them to strike, or to apply a form of stealth using both technology and technique. Without these, the Sangheili is vulnerable to attack by all forms of ranged attack, especially from sniper-based counterattacks. Infantry with Overshields are also more resistant when facing this weapon as it can take two strikes before the shield system fails and then another for the killing blow. Furthermore, the Type-1 Energy Weapon is vulnerable to other magnetic fields, as they can block, disrupt, or possibly even alter the functionality of the sword. Two energy swords clashing together create a small disruption of energy as a result of the same type of magnetic fields clashing together, this clash has a slight area of effect damage that can affect the combatants. As with most other Covenant weapons, the Type-1 Energy Weapon is battery powered, requiring the user to either recharge the weapon or discard it when the power is depleted. Although the handle can generally be used as a club, the Energy Sword's combat effectiveness at that point is minimal. The strength and lethality of the sword in the games are compensated for the sake of gameplay. Finally, due to the energy output, the Type-1 Energy Weapon can sometimes give away the position of a Sangheili warrior who uses active camouflage. Trivia *''The Energy Sword is best known to be the main weapon of choice for PLATNIUMskull90, and Aeons Windspear has been known to use the Infected variant of the same weapon, with Aeons being the better swordsman...'' Category:Seven Sage Fire Arms Category:Halo Weaponry Category:Fire Arms used in Condemnation Category:Fire Arms used in Before The Storm Category:Melee Weapons